The layers of Kaid Isherwood (The 1st book in the 'Layers' series)

Chapter 6

Kaid Isherwood's POV

I had a plan. Not just a plan—a scheming, diabolical masterstroke that would rival anything cooked up by fictional masterminds or mischievous undergraduates pulling pranks. Okay, maybe it was more of an inkling, but give it time. Like a fine cheese, it would age and become something truly magnificent. The important thing was to act swiftly. I grabbed my jacket, which somehow always smelled faintly of regret and coffee, and left the dorm in a flurry of purpose.

Crossing campus felt like traversing a battlefield of lost souls. Sleep-deprived students shuffled past, clutching overpriced lattes and barely-held-together egos. But I was on a mission. I reached a different set of dorms, the kind where the windows had curtains that screamed, "I'm hiding from life" and knocked firmly on the specific door I needed. It swung open to reveal Millina, the red-haired chaos gremlin of my acquaintance, wearing her usual look of mild disdain paired with a shiny new nose piercing.

"Kaid," she said, squinting at me like I was a walking bad idea. Which, fair. "What are you doing here?"

"Remember that little act we pulled a few years ago?" I asked, leaning against the doorframe with an exaggerated smirk.

Her eyes narrowed. "You mean the one that almost got us both suspended?"

"Yep. That's the one. I need you to do it again."

She crossed her arms, and I could practically hear the gears in her head grinding. "Why, exactly, should I risk my academic future for you?"

"Because," I said, sauntering into her room like I owned the place and plopping down in her suspiciously squeaky rolly chair, "my roommate started a game he didn't know he was playing. And I need you to go full psycho-stalker mode to scare him out of ever challenging me again."

Millina's lips twitched into a grin so devious it probably set off alarms somewhere in the universe. "What's in it for me?"

I sighed, knowing full well where this was headed. "I'll owe you one. And you know how much I hate owing people."

Her grin widened into full-blown maniacal territory. "Alright. But we're doing this right. We'll need that black wig from the last time. And we're dyeing it lavender. Got any leftover hair dye?"

I nodded. Of course, I had leftover dye. "Anything else?"

"Your giant tub of bleach. Oh, and snacks. I work better when I'm fueled by sodium and artificial flavoring."

"Sure thing, your highness," I said, pushing myself out of the chair with a dramatic flair. "I'll be back."

"Don't forget the snacks!" she yelled after me as I left.

Let me tell you about Millina. She's the headmaster's daughter, and while most people think that would make her a paragon of rule-following, she's actually a one-woman rebellion against all forms of authority, including her dad's. Our alliance began years ago when we teamed up to stage a series of elaborate pranks that cemented our reputations as the campus mischief duo. Now, she was the key to my latest plan.

I returned with the requested items, plus a bonus bag of cheese puffs because I'm not a monster. Millina had already found the wig, which looked even more terrifyingly realistic than I remembered.

"Alright," she said, setting up her makeshift hair-dyeing station. "The plan is simple. I'll go ballistic during third period when I hear about your supposed shirtless shenanigans. Then, I'll show up at Lucan Ashworth's lunch and threaten to end him if he doesn't stay away from 'my Kaid.' Sound good?"

"Perfect," I said, already envisioning the chaos. "Just make sure you hit the line exactly so I can send your dad in for the dramatic finale."

Millina's father, Headmaster Quartson, was an unusual man. He'd agreed to this whole charade because he had a bizarre fondness for "student creativity" and secretly enjoyed our antics as long as they didn't destroy school property.

By the time we finished prepping, it was showtime. Millina disappeared to her first class, armed with her wig and a script of carefully crafted insults. I made my way to Quartson's office, where he was waiting with the kind of bemused expression that suggested he was regretting his life choices but also couldn't wait to see the outcome.

"You owe her for this?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Must be serious."

"Desperate times call for desperate measures," I admitted. "Besides, if I'd bribed her with pizza, she would've gone rogue. This way, I get exactly what I need."

He nodded knowingly. "Fair. But I'll expect a full report."

We monitored the cafeteria cameras, waiting for Millina's cue. When she stormed into the cafeteria, wig askew and eyes blazing, I nearly applauded. Her performance was Oscar-worthy. She screamed, she threatened, and when she delivered the fateful line, "Stay away from my Kaid!", Quartson burst through the doors like a superhero making a dramatic entrance.

It was chaos. Students froze mid-bite. Lucan looked like he was about to faint. Quartson dragged Millina out, yelling about "appropriate behavior" while she shouted something about "blood vengeance." Absolute perfection.

Afterward, I met up with Millina outside the dorms. "You nailed it," I said, holding up my hand for a high five. She smacked it with enough force to sting.

"Of course I did. I'm a professional."

With the main event over, I decided to restock on essentials. The convenience store was only a two-minute walk away, but you'd think it was a pilgrimage for some students. I grabbed my usual supplies: hair dye, Kool-Aid packets, jerky, and enough popcorn to survive a zombie apocalypse. As I wandered the aisles, I couldn't help but relish the thought of Lucan returning to an empty dorm, utterly baffled by my absence.

When I finally returned, dinner was in full swing. I organized my loot with the precision of a mad scientist—hair dye sorted by shade, snacks by flavor profile. As I settled into my chair, I couldn't help but smile. The plan was in motion, and chaos was officially afoot. Lucan Ashworth had no idea what he was in for.